There was no evidence to show that she was physically restrained, although Dr Hugh White, a forensic pathologist, indicated Mr Dowling had not been taking his prescribed medication.

Coroner David Ridley said: “He says that an analysis of the scene suggested that Bill had placed the stock of the shot gun on the floor and the barrel by the side of his head. Victoria had been shot in the back of her head shattering her skull.

“In relation to the toxicology report it was virtually clean in relation to the presence of any drugs prescribed or otherwise in Bill’s system.”

The surgery Mr Dowling used, The Lansdowne Surgery in Devizes, is now part of a pilot scheme instigated by the Community Safety Partnership in Wiltshire and run by the NHS Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group.

The pilot, which started after Mr Dowling’s death, encourages doctors to notify those at Wiltshire Council’s firearms licensing department if they have concerns for a person holding a license.

Coroner David Ridley said he would also write a report under rule 28 of the coroner’s regulations 2013 to lend his support to the pilot scheme and to prevent future deaths to others.

He said: “There is an opportunity here to get the support of the British Medical Association irrespective of the crucial cornerstone relationship between the GP and the patient, of patient confidentiality, to allow GPs to release information to authorities.”